Bill Text: TX SB711 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the use by a political subdivision of public money for lobbying activities or lobbyists.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-02 - Referred to State Affairs [SB711 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB711-Introduced.html
84R9262 ATP-F | ||
By: Burton | S.B. No. 711 |
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relating to the use by a political subdivision of public money for | ||
lobbying activities or lobbyists. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 89.002, Local Government Code, is | ||
transferred to Chapter 556, Government Code, redesignated as | ||
Section 556.0056, Government Code, and amended to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 556.0056 [ |
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AND ORGANIZATIONS [ |
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section applies to: | ||
(1) a political subdivision that imposes a tax; or | ||
(2) a regional mobility authority, toll road | ||
authority, or transit authority. | ||
(b) The governing body of a political subdivision may not | ||
spend public money to directly or indirectly influence or attempt | ||
to influence the outcome of any legislation pending before the | ||
legislature. This subsection does not prevent: | ||
(1) an officer or employee of a political subdivision | ||
from providing information for a member of the legislature or | ||
appearing before a legislative committee at the request of the | ||
committee or the member of the legislature; or | ||
(2) an elected officer of a political subdivision from | ||
advocating for or against or otherwise influencing or attempting to | ||
influence the outcome of legislation pending before the legislature | ||
while acting as an officer of the political subdivision. | ||
(c) The governing body of a political subdivision | ||
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subdivision [ |
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for membership fees and dues of a nonprofit state association or | ||
organization of similarly situated political subdivisions only | ||
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(1) a majority of the governing body [ |
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approve membership in the association or organization; | ||
(2) the association or organization exists for the | ||
betterment of local [ |
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local [ |
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(3) the association or organization is not affiliated | ||
with a labor organization; | ||
(4) neither the association or organization nor an | ||
employee of the association or organization directly or indirectly | ||
influences or attempts to influence the outcome of any legislation | ||
pending before the legislature[ |
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(5) [ |
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contribute [ |
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thing to a political campaign or endorse [ |
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group of candidates for public office. | ||
(d) Subsection (c)(4) does not prevent a person from | ||
providing information for a member of the legislature or appearing | ||
before a legislative committee at the request of the committee or | ||
the member of the legislature. | ||
(e) A political subdivision may not employ in any capacity a | ||
person required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305. | ||
(f) If a political subdivision engages in an activity | ||
prohibited by Subsection (b) or (e) or if [ |
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or organization supported wholly or partly by payments of tax | ||
receipts from political subdivisions engages in an activity | ||
described by Subsection (c)(4) [ |
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political subdivision that pays fees or dues to the association or | ||
organization is entitled to appropriate injunctive relief to | ||
prevent any further activity prohibited by Subsection (b) or (e) or | ||
described by Subsection (c)(4) [ |
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payments of fees or dues. | ||
(g) A taxpayer who prevails in an action under Subsection | ||
(f) is entitled to recover from the political subdivision the | ||
taxpayer's reasonable attorney's fees and costs incurred in | ||
bringing the action. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 556.0056, Government Code, as | ||
redesignated and amended by this Act, applies only to an | ||
expenditure or payment of public funds by a political subdivision | ||
that is made on or after September 1, 2015. An expenditure or | ||
payment of public funds by a political subdivision that is made | ||
before September 1, 2015, is governed by the law in effect on the | ||
date the expenditure or payment is made, and the former law is | ||
continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |